Chapter 41

Mrs. Chandler’s breathing ceased soon after.

An administrative official rushed from the Imperial Palace to announce the Emperor’s decree to the citizens gathered in the square.

The content was as follows: “Princess Anais Carlisle, who succumbed to the incitements of wicked advisors and tarnished the dignity of the Imperial Court, will be held accountable and confined to a monastery.”

This was accompanied by a lengthy explanation about the Emperor’s sorrowful and difficult decision-making process, plus an order to cease the consumption of the health syrup—an added edict.

“Citizens of the State, respect the decree wholeheartedly!”

Amidst all this, Mrs. Chandler’s corpse lay abandoned, battered and lifeless.

It wasn’t until another day passed that her body was finally removed.

—

Was this treatment fitting for a child leaving for faraway lands?

“Reflect and mend your ways while you’re there.”

This was Emperor’s parting message just before Anais departed for the monastery.

Princess Anais, the third Imperial Princess, blinked in stunned disbelief. She knew it was improper, but did etiquette really matter now? After all, it was over anyway.

From now on, her life would unfold within the cloistered walls of the sealed monastery, surrounded only by nuns.

But her oblivious father continued to drone on with uncomfortable words.

“Anais, you must remain within the monastery grounds. Communication with the outside world will be forbidden, but other conveniences will be granted. Do you understand the meaning of this?”

“…”

“She’s not listening. …How disappointing.”

Anais wished he’d stop already. Lifting her head, she looked directly at the Emperor. But then—

‘Huh?’

The Emperor was staring at her with an expression that was difficult to describe.

Bloodshot eyes, a weary complexion after only a few days—this seemed uncharacteristic of the ruthless ruler who had cut down his siblings and relatives (some even with his own hands) to ascend the throne. Even Anais, his daughter, found the sight unfamiliar and unsettling.

‘Did I do something wrong?’

She was given no chance to rectify her alleged discourtesy.

Just after the Emperor left in a hurry, his voice choking with emotion, he issued a final plea: “Please stay healthy.”

“Your Majesty?”

Anais wanted to chase after him but felt it would be inappropriate. She instead awkwardly fiddled with the hem of her dress.

The Empress, who had been present to bid her farewell, approached with a disdainful look.

“You should have at least hugged him and cried into his robes. If you had done so, the Emperor’s heart would have broken, but it might have created a slightly favorable environment for you. At the very least, he would have checked on your well-being every few days.”

“…”

“I want to help you, but you keep ruining every chance on your own. There’s nothing more I can do now… Since it’s your departure, I won’t say anything further.”

“Mother.”

Help? And opportunity?

Anais looked at the Empress in confusion, her sense of bewilderment growing.

‘The fake health syrup incident’—this was the first time they had faced each other since then. And here was her mother, who hadn’t spoken a word of comfort all this time, suddenly talking about missed opportunities. It was impossible not to feel upset.

Still, it was inappropriate to argue right before parting, so Anais suppressed her feelings.

But there was one thing she had to ask.

“Mother, why did you do that to me?”

“Anais.”

“Why did you have to go so far as to put on an act and corner me like that? If you had given me a hint, I could have… no, why did you treat me like that in the first place? Even if I was wrong, why did it have to hurt you too?”

The words she had been holding back spilled out in a chaotic rush.

She wanted to know why her own mother would set her up with Siena to cast her into ruin.

Because of those mushrooms? Or because she didn’t heed a warning? Though technically true, wasn’t she just one of many children who sometimes disobeyed their parents?

‘I have to know this before I go.’

With determination not to budge until she got an answer, Anais stared intently at the Empress.

Regrettably, the Empress did not give her the answer she sought.

“Daughter, the question you should be asking is not that.”

“What should I ask then?”

“Dorothy Chandler. You should first inquire about what happened to the family of that old woman who passed away in the square yesterday. While that woman took the blame—and died—for your sins, things could change if her family starts spreading unwanted rumors.”

“Change? But Mrs. Chandler was just an ordinary citizen, and her family is nothing special…”

“It all depends on how they’re used.”

“Siena secretly tried to secure them as prisoners, you know. She’s always so meticulous. Still, I had my people quietly move her husband and children to a safe place, so you don’t need to worry.”

“…”

“You owe me nothing.”

With that, the Empress gestured for her to leave.

Her aides obeyed the message and helped Anais board the carriage.

“Go already.”

With the Empress’ quiet directive, the carriage began to move.

Anais quickly stuck her head out the window, but the Empress had already turned her back.

‘Really, did all that happen…?’

As Chandler lay dying in the square, putting on a one-woman performance, Siena attempted to secure her family as leverage. It made Anais’s blood run cold to realize the sheer malice aimed at grinding her down even further when she was already at rock bottom.

And…

She began to vaguely grasp what the Empress had called “opportunities.”

If she had simply allowed everything to play out after the psilocybin incident, how would things have turned out?

Sure, it might have been painful. But at most, that pain would have been limited to drifting away from her friends and losing some support.

‘Not really, though. Siena wouldn’t have left me alone, health syrup or not.’

She tried to deny it, but fresh doubts sprang up.

What if she hadn’t withdrawn? What if she had taken a few weeks to test the efficacy of the health syrup before releasing it? Or, at the very least, what if she had caught Siena’s ruse and exposed the fake syrup early on without falling for it?

Speculating about “if only” scenarios now felt meaningless.

Yet Anais couldn’t stop herself, no matter how well she understood how fruitless it was.

She had nothing else to do besides this.

…

Anais’s reverie was interrupted around 10 minutes later, when the carriage was slowly crossing a boulevard.

“Wait! Please stop for a moment!”

There was someone shouting at the carriage emblazoned with the royal emblem.

While anyone bold enough to yell at the imperial convoy might be labeled insane, Anais couldn’t ignore the voice—it sounded vaguely familiar.

Forgetting to let it pass would likely leave her with regret, so she glanced toward the knight leading the procession.

“That’s someone I know. Let me say hello at least before we go, right?”

“Yes, Your Highness, please greet them.”

The carriage came to a halt.

“Thank heaven you passed by here! I was worried you might have missed me.”

A young man was approaching, speaking animatedly.

Deep blond hair, green eyes, an average build.

At first glance, he appeared inconspicuous, but a closer examination revealed there wasn’t a single unattractive feature about him—an undeniably charming man.

Just his kind gaze made her feel at ease. It evoked the desire to take care of him in some small way.

Beyond his looks, he was someone of particular significance to Anais as well.

“Senior Leon.”

Leon Rothe Dale, 2nd year of the Department of Swordsmanship at the Academy.

Once a relatively unremarkable freshman, he was now a renowned prodigy in swordsmanship, known to everyone.

Anais also counted him as an acquaintance—a senior she had befriended after a chance meeting earlier in the semester, despite being in different departments and grades.

They had shared more than just friendship, but after her disgrace, Anais deliberately avoided him, fearing he might look upon her with cold eyes.

‘And I meet him again like this. Never in my wildest dreams.’

To be honest, shame bubbled up inside her now. Here she was, stripped of her rights of succession and fleeing the State, yet why shouldn’t she feel embarrassed?

But overwhelming gratitude overshadowed the shame.

To see someone welcome her so openly, despite her losses, seemed almost heartwarming. He was overly cheerful, sure, but the simple fact that someone bothered to bid her farewell filled her with joy she couldn’t suppress.

“Did you really wait for me?”

“Truth be told, I’ve wanted to meet you for a while now. I thought this might be my last chance, so I waited, and here we are—mission accomplished!”

The warmth in his voice alone made her chest warm. His casual speech, using informal language, was even more touching.

A fleeting reminder of the ordinary days she’d enjoyed before everything went awry—before psilocybin, poisonous herbs, morphine, opium, and ma huang turned her life upside down.

She hadn’t realized how precious those days had been until she had lost them entirely.

Her eyes stung slightly, but Anais forced herself not to cry. She couldn’t show weakness to someone who had gone to the trouble of coming to see her off.

‘Let’s part with a smile. It’s the right thing to do.’

With a strained smile, she looked at Leon.

“Thank you, Senior.”

“I’m the one who should be thanking you!”

“It’s not necessary to shout that loudly… but everything’s fine. Senior, I have so much I want to say, but there’s not much time. Still, I’m glad to have seen you before I go. Truly.”

She wanted to promise to meet again, but it felt selfish to do so. Despite that, Anais felt increasingly restless, eager to express her gratitude somehow. If only she’d prepared a present upon learning of his visit.

This restless feeling was interrupted by a sudden statement from Leon.

“Thank you for creating such great medicine!”

“…What?”

“Ah, wasn’t the one who made it that old woman who died yesterday? Anyway, without you, that medicine wouldn’t have seen the light of day. …By the way, if you don’t mind, could you tell me where I might find a similar drug, preferably cheap and abundant? I want more of it.”

What on earth was he saying? Anais stared blankly at her elder, unable to believe those words could come from someone so kind.

“Senior Leon, what are you talking about?”

“Don’t worry about it. I’ll figure it out myself.”

And with that, Leon grinned broadly, his teeth fully exposed—his smile feeling oddly unsettling.

Anais didn’t know how to react. This was so unlike the Leon she knew.

‘What’s going on?’

Believing their exchange had concluded, the convoy began moving again.

Anais watched Leon out of the corner of her eye, dazed. He simply waved cheerfully, as if celebrating some great occasion.

“Goodbye!”

He was the only one to bid her farewell with a smile.

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